What does an HR department do to keep employees satisfied?
Like any other type of organization made up of human beings, companies can sometimes present problems in their internal organization not only in terms of work performance, but also in terms of the psychological phenomena to which gives place.
For better or for worse, the work context emotionally influences workers, something that can give rise to sources of discomfort unexpected or quite the opposite, incentives and reasons for positively assessing the work experience (beyond what is charged at the end of month).
This type of risk and opportunity is part of the elements to be considered by the Human Resources teams. But… What exactly can be done from the field of HR to increase and maintain the level of satisfaction of the workers of a company?
- Related article: "The 6 pillars of Human Resources"
What is done from the HR department to promote the well-being of workers?
The HR department is not only in charge of the formal and bureaucratic aspects related to hiring employees and respecting labor rights; In addition, a good part of his work has to do with retaining talent, that is, generating incentive systems beyond remuneration, on the one hand, and make it possible for work processes not to be frustrating and to take place as smoothly as possible, without producing psychosocial friction unnecessary. In short, it is from Human Resources that strategies are thought to make the company a pleasant and motivating place in which to develop professionally.
Below we briefly present the main functions that the Human Resources department has to keep the employees of a company satisfied.
1. Promotes communication in the company
Communication in any organization is essential for it to maintain a good internal functioning of this, and that is one of the primary objectives of any Human Resources department.
Communication channels in any company can be horizontal (among colleagues in the same department or position), vertical (between superiors and subordinates) and diagonal (between people from different departments and different positions in the Organization chart).
The work of professional experts in Human Resources consists, among other things, in designing varied and flexible communication channels to avoid bottlenecks of production due to misunderstandings, avoiding that there is only the information flow from top to bottom (the only channel that "takes for granted" without the intervention of the HR).
- You may be interested in: "Business communication: types, characteristics and common errors"
2. Apply flexible hours strategies where possible
family conciliation It is one of the most important objectives that both the employees of any organization and the employees of the same seek, since it greatly facilitates the work of everyone.
To achieve the objective of reconciling the work life with the family of employees, HR professionals apply schedule flexibility strategies based on the characteristics, needs and profiles of each of their employees.
In addition to that, a good human resources department must also attend to the personal needs of each employee, individually and adapted to each of their profiles.
- Related article: "How does a bad family conciliation affect parenting?"
3. Offer competitive remuneration
Remuneration and bonuses for objectives achieved are also elements that fall within the attributions of the professionals of the Human Resources department.
These salaries and incentives they should not be seen solely as something that allows you to maintain a lifestyle and cover personal expenses; They must be offered using objective criteria based on the performance and value contributed by each employee so as not to generate comparative grievances among the company's workers. The floor has, in addition to an instrumental facet, a symbolic facet.
4. Promote training plans
Continuous training is essential for each employee to progressively acquire new skills and abilities that allow them to successfully carry out new responsibilities.
That is why the HR department periodically offers internal training plans adapted to its employees with the aim of facilitating promotion to jobs with more responsibility.
- You may be interested in: "The 4 keys to managing training credit in companies"
5. Mentoring and supervision
Professionals in the field of Human Resources also offer company employees a service of mentoring or supervision to guide and guide them, especially in the first weeks of work.
Similarly, the HR department will be available at any time to any employee who wishes to consult or deal with an issue that may concern them or in which they need guidance.
6. Promote company values consistently
Applying work policies that are in line with the company's corporate values is another of the functions of the Human Resources department.
The purpose of this function is to avoid generating in employees and any other member of the organization a feeling of arbitrariness in decision-making within HR management.
7. Promote the feeling of belonging
There are many activities and actions that the HR department can take to promote employees a bond or feeling of belonging to the group with the aim of promoting their involvement and motivation.
Some of these group activities can be soccer matches, paintball days, group dynamics, escape rooms, tournaments...
8. Provide non-autocratic leadership figures
In addition to promoting and retaining talent, the HR department is also in charge of seeking out and identifying leadership figures served within the company. Lack of leadership generates authority vacuums that lead to self-sabotage, while a total accumulation of authority leads to a work climate that generates anxiety or even fear.
This task is based on identifying specific profiles of people who know how to lead groups of all type in an active and committed way and that they are not limited to transmitting orders, but rather inspire and give example.
- Related article: "Types of Leadership: The 5 most common types of leaders"
9. Offer psychological support
Many professionals in charge of the HR department are usually psychologists or have extensive training in the field of psychology, that is why another of its elementary functions may be to provide psychological support and supervision to its professionals.
Said department must be constantly available for all kinds of problems, including those emotional or related to mental health, offering psychological assistance.
Do you want to train in Human Resources?
If you are interested in specializing in the field of HR, the University Master's Degree in Selection and Talent Management of the Malaga University is for you. In it you will be able to learn both the strategies of personnel selection and job design as well as those of training and retention of talent existing in organizations through incentive systems, establishment of a good working environment and internal promotion protocols, among others things. All this, from the hand of a teaching staff with many years of experience in the sector, and the involvement of collaborators from several of the main companies that operate in Spain.